Bash on The Bay underway at Put-In-Bay

8/30/2018
BLADE STAFF
  • CTY-BAY31-6

    From left: Joe Don Rooney, Gary LeVox and Jay DeMarcus of Rascal Flatts perform during the second Bash on the Bay country music festival.

    The Blade/Kurt Steiss
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    • PUT-IN-BAY — The second annual Bash On The Bay country music festival at the island is underway.

    American country band Rascal Flatts headlines the festival tonight. Organizers are expecting more than 10,000 people to attend the event at the island’s airport.

    Opening groups includes Chris Lane, Joe Nichols, the Cory Farley Band, and Paulina Jayne. The first band will perform at 3:30 p.m.

    “To bring a person or an entertainer of this scale to [Put-in-Bay] is a big deal for this little island,” Tim Niese recently told The Blade. Niese is the festival’s organizer and is also a business owner on the island.

    Last year Toby Keith headlined the island’s first Bash On The Bay, an event that generated about $6 million in economic impact to Put-in-Bay and the surrounding area.

    Miller Boat Line and the Jet Express both extended their hours and are working in more frequent rides from the mainland to the island. The ferry systems will be able to transport nearly 3,000 people to the island in an hour today.

    There are about 250 people working security this year, including deputies from Jackson County, Ohio, and personnel from the Contemporary Services Corp., who also guard the Cleveland Browns’ stadium.